Publisher’s Letter March/April 2008

This January, I launched a survey initiative called IDN Insights. For many years now, I have wanted to get some real data on Supply Chain Executive perceptions, attitudes and forecasts on current and future trends.

So in January I sent out a request for participants to join a pool of respondents that would agree to a monthly survey of usually less than 10 questions. The response to the request was everything I had hoped for. The top line results are then shared the following month with anyone participating in the survey.

Supply Chain Executives from some of the best systems and hospitals have signed up. Organizations like OhioHealth, Mayo Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Catholic Healthcare West and Norton Healthcare are just a few of the hundreds organizations that joined this community.

We gathered a number of attributes from the respondents when they registered, including how long they have been in healthcare contracting, the type and size of their facility and their organization’s profit status.

At first pass, our respondents turned out to be a pretty interesting group of people;

57 percent are from an IDN

38 percent of the IDN executives have 11 or more hospitals

71 percent of the Hospital executives come from a hospital with over 250 beds

45 percent of all respondents have been in the contracting arena for over 20 years.

Our first survey was sent out in late February and focused on GPO satisfaction and future supply chain trends. The results are fascinating. For example, over 50 percent of all respondents are Very Satisfied with their GPO. But the information I really like is the answers to the open ended questions. That is where I see the key drivers that seem to be moving our market.

If you would like to participate in IDN Insights, I would welcome you warmly. You will find great value in what your peers are thinking and planning about today’s Supply Chain issues. Just e-mail me at the below address and I will send you directions.